Scotland starlet linked to Serie A switch as Rangers and Celtic face summer target battle amid 'enquiry made'
The Scottish youngster is on a list of targets for the Serie A side, according to reports.
Scotland Under-21 captain David Watson has emerged as a transfer option for Serie A outfit Bologna - who are also plotting to usurp both Celtic and Rangers to one of their key summer targets.
The Kilmarnock midfielder is out of contract at Rugby Park in the summer and has been strongly linked with interest from Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. However, reports now suggest that Bologna have now entered the race for his signature, and have already made enquiries with a view to signing Watson on a Bosman free transfer.
Bologna have a history of shopping in the Scottish market, too. Both Lewis Ferguson and Aaron Hickey joined from Aberdeen and Hearts respectively in recent years, with Ferguson captaining the club as they ended a 51-year wait for silverware by winning the Coppa Italia in 2025. They were also linked to Scottish wonderkid Lennon Miller prior to his £4million move to Udinese in September last year.
A move to Bologna for Watson would add to the growing Scottish contingent in Italy. Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour (both Napoli), Che Adams (Torino), Josh Doig (Sassuolo), the aforementioned Ferguson and Miller who all currently ply their trade in Serie A. Former Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson also represents Sampdoria in Serie B.
Alongside Watson, reports in Italy claim that Il Rossoblu are also paying close attention to highly rated Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl. Another player strongly linked with both Celtic and Rangers, the 20-year-old playmaker has enjoyed an explosive start to the season, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Fredrikstad in the Eliteserien opener earlier this month.
Previously compared to Arsenal captain and fellow countryman Martin Odegaard, he had interest from both Brighton and Sunderland earlier this season, while Rangers were reportedly ready to offer a fee of around £4.5million to secure a deal for the 6ft 4in midfielder in January.
Celtic are also said to be mulling over a deal for the player, alongside Besiktas. However, Bologna have now been added to the long list of interested clubs as head coach Vincenzo Italiano looks for a replacement for experienced midfielder Remo Freuler, who could depart the Renato Dall'Ara at the end of the current campaign.
Teammates with Bologna centre-back Eivind Helland at Norway Under-21s, it is claimed that Bologna have already started planning their summer recruitment drive and are targeting several talents from across Europe, as they aim to inject more youth into their squad.
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